Exploring social disconnection through the lens of the model of excellencism and perfectionism

Introduction. The Social Disconnection Model posits that perfectionism is positively associated with loneliness. However, past studies often failed to report the expected association between perfectionistic standards and indicators of social disconnection, such as loneliness. The recently developed Model of Excellencism and Perfectionism proposes that perfectionistic standards should be differentiated from the pursuit of high but realistic standards (i.e., excellencism). We conducted two studies to test the hypothesis that perfectionistic standards will be positively associated with loneliness once clearly separating them from excellencism. Method. In two studies (N = 284; N = 396), participants completed the Scale of Perfectionism and Excellencism and various measures of social disconnection. Results. In Study 1, perfectionism was positively related to loneliness, sacrificing social relationships, perfectionistic self-presentation, and less optimal social adjustment goals. Study 2 replicated and extended these findings, showing perfectionism was positively associated with loneliness and frustration of the need for relatedness. In contrast, excellencism was associated with lower loneliness and higher satisfaction of the need for relatedness. Discussion. The results show the importance of distinguishing between perfectionism and excellencism in unpacking the theoretically expected association between perfectionistic standards and psychological and social adjustment in the Social Disconnection Model. Overall, our findings provide novel insights into how perfectionism and excellencism are differentially linked to psychological experiences of social disconnection.